Saturday, February 15, 2014

Should you migrate? The 64,000-dollar question – Koon Yew Yin

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Should you migrate? The 64,000-dollar question – Koon Yew Yin

Recently, I received a reference to a new book written by two migrant
Malaysian brothers who have lived abroad for more than 10 years with
advice for would-be migrants.

Their advice included tips, such as never taking things for granted,
never burn your bridges, to be objectively optimistic and the importance
of financial freedom among.

These tips are useful in any major decision you make about life and career.

In fact, many “how to succeed” books – whether they deal with the stock
market or changing jobs – offer similar or variants of this advice,
although the advice may be presented in different languages and styles.

The most important point that the book seems to emphasise is that every country has its good and bad points.

This again is sensible.

Every would-be migrant – unless he or she comes from the most
god-forsaken and wretched country on earth – should know that the new
country he or she is intending to migrate to will not be a paradise on
earth.

What the book seems to be concerned about is that many Malaysians are
being driven to migrate in the false hope that somewhere in some
countries, the governments care for their people, practise freedom of
speech, and promote fairness and equality.

Actually, I think few Malaysians have the expectation of a completely
level playing field and fair play in Australia, New Zealand, United
States, Britain or any other country to which they intend to migrate.

I also do not believe that any departing Malaysian has an ideal picture
of the host country and its various freedoms and racial policies as
their main reason for migration.

Why Malaysians are migrating

What is driving them – especially Chinese and Indian Malaysians, and
also Malays – to migrate is that the political and social situation in
Malaysia has gone from bad to worse.

They see growing “ketuanan Melayu” and “ketuanan Islam” intruding into their personal and public lives.

They see a Barisan Nasional government which is unable to reform and
increasingly giving way to Perkasa, Isma and other extremist forces in
public policy making and implementation – a development which even
moderate and liberal Malays cannot stomach.

Of course, they are fully aware that they are exchanging one “ketuanan”
for another in the countries that they are migrating to.

But the important difference for many that make the hard decision to
leave is that, even though the playing field may be uneven when they
arrive at their new home, it will be a more even and fairer one for
their children – in terms of education and jobs – even without taking
into account the higher quality of life in these countries.

This then is the 64,000-dollar question which many Malaysians –
especially those who have succeeded so well and are the top of their
professions – face.

Just on the economics of it, for these businessmen or professionals, Malaysia is a good country to live and die.

Many Malaysians (I am part of this group) have done well for
themselves. Despite the New Economic Policy and other forms of
discrimination, we remain privileged in our economic standing.
But the younger generation face an increasingly bleak future.

As the economic pie shrinks, the fight for good jobs, contracts, commissions and a better life is becoming fiercer.

A young graduate today without assistance from his parents will never
be able to afford a decent apartment in Kuala Lumpur or Penang.

A house within an hour from his place of work in the city centre is a dream which can only be achieved by winning the lottery.

When you combine the economic with the political, social and
educational factors, then the decision on whether to migrate or not
becomes a more urgent one – even for Malaysians who have done really
well in their careers here.

For them, it is the future of their kids which becomes the final push factor.

What the government can do to stem migration

While the decision to migrate or stay back is an individual and
personal one, the government must realise that most Malaysians – I would
say more than 90% – are loyal and patriotic.

We know that we are living in a good and in some ways, a lucky country.
The majority of Chinese Malaysians do not want to leave for a new land
and to start afresh all over again.

But we, and our children, must not be treated as “pendatang”.

Our contributions to the country’s prosperity and wellbeing must be recognised.

It is an undeniable fact that all the urban towns, megamalls, apartment
buildings, amusement centres, roads, railways, ports, rubber
plantations, manufacturing plants were built solely or mainly with
Chinese and Indian labour and capital.

The foundations of our educational system – our schools and universities – similarly owe much to non-Malay teachers.

It is also an undeniable fact that modern Malaysia and its amenities
and standard of living – what Perkasa and Malay and Islamic supremacist
groups take for granted – will not exist without the Chinese and Indian
contributions.

It is not only on the economic side that we have contributed.

Our contributions have also been in the arts, culture, architecture and social.

Just think of how much Malay food has borrowed from, and has been
enriched by the Chinese and Indian communities – even right down to the
language – taugeh, bihun, kuetiao, pohpiah, sotong, lobak, chapchai,
tauhu, chapati, roti canai, mee mamak, thosai, sambal, nasi biryani and
more.

Do not kill the golden goose

Our talent and abilities must be given equal opportunity so that we can
contribute to a more prosperous and greater Malaysia. Our young people
must not be driven to feel they have an inferior place in this country.

The Malay ultras and those in Umno must come to their senses regarding the place of the Chinese in Malaysia.

Malays may have control over all the major sectors of the country –
political, social, cultural, educational, and a large part of the
economy through government-linked companies and new Malay business
elite.

But it is the non-Malay component that created the old wealth. It is
also the non-Malays who can provide much of the driving force and
dynamism that enables new wealth to be created and shared with the less
productive and needy.

Don’t kill the goose that lays the golden egg for Malays and Malaysia is my advice to them.
Finally, to those facing the dilemma of migration, I wish to point out
that the Pakatan Rakyat manifesto during the last elections acknowledges
the need for reforms to dismantle the racially discriminatory policies
put in place by the Barisan Nasional.

Since the opposition coalition won more than 50% of the popular vote,
there is hope still for a fairer society to emerge. – February 14, 2014.